Posted at 8:00 AM ET. Odds are subject to change

Duke +115 ML over Illinois

Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium – Durham, NC

12:00 PM ET. Any time you see a ranked team flirting with the top 10 yet laying only a short number against an unranked opponent, it’s worth taking notice. That’s exactly the case here.

Illinois comes in off a 10-3 season that put Bret Bielema back on the map. They closed 2024 strong, beat a quality South Carolina squad in their bowl game, and now ride into September carrying momentum and respect from both the polls and the market. That’s why they’re the “better” side here according to perception.

Duke doesn’t have the same glow. They weren’t flashy last season and haven’t made much national noise in years. Yet the market is quietly siding with the Blue Devils. If Illinois were truly a top-10 quality team, they would not be laying less than a field goal here. The number is screaming that Duke is the right side. We’ll listen to the signal, not the noise. Live home dog. Dukies outright.

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